Recently Africa Unite bid farewell to Klaus and Vera social work interns form the University of Applied Sciences FH Campus Vienna. The two interns were involved in Gugulethu and Nyanga townships providing counselling, life skills, homework support and psychosocial support to children affected by sexual and gender based violence, HIV/AIDS, and community violence, including xenophobia related violence in Africa Unite -Singamakhalipha project.

Klaus and Vera opening their gifts from AU after their final presentation of their internship experience.

They also had the opportunity to facilitate and co-facilitate children’s rights session, parenting skills trainings and took part in fundraising activities within the organisation. The two had clearly become part of the Africa Unite team and community as displayed by the tears shed by community members during the presentations of the work they had done during their period of work at Africa Unite.
Both interns showed great determination and interest in working with the children and families within the project. Africa Unite also had to say farewell to Anouk Veenstra who is studying Human Resources at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences and Joris ten Brink who studied Taxation Law at Tilburg University, all from the Netherlands.

From Left: Anouk receiving her gift from Africa Unite after her presentation.

The two were trained as Africa Unite Human Rights Peer Educators in March 2015 together with a group of selected youth from Cape Town, Kenya, Zambia and the University of Connecticut (USA). After the training Anouk and Joris had the opportunity to facilitate Human Rights information sessions in various townships of Cape Town along with the local youth peer educators. They were also involved in the AU school clubs, organizing various events and attended several events and meetings. Their internship was both for 6 months and they adapted really well in Cape Town. The pair was easy to work with and they quickly became part of the Africa Unite family.

Joris presenting his internship experience with Africa Unite.

We wish Klaus, Vera, Anouk and Joris success in their studies and future endeavors. Africa Unite will miss them all.